Smoking is a big reason for a number of serious health conditions, lung cancer, as well as other forms of cancer, and heart disease, just to name a few. However, what you may not have realized is that it is also one of the causes of snoring.

Smoking causing swelling in the mucous membranes of the nose and the tissues of the throat, as well as damaging the small vessels of the lungs by blocking them, causing snoring as well as a number of other problems.

Recent studies have proven that there is a link between smoking and snoring with smokers more likely to have a higher incidence of snoring than non-smokers.

Researchers are now also investigating the damage nicotine does to the nervous system as it is thought that prolonged exposure to nicotine can cause nerve damage to the airways, increase the risks of snoring, as well as increasing the amount of snoring.

Perhaps the realization that smoking cigarettes is not only bad for your health, and even your sleep will be affected by snoring. Smoking adversely affects the airway, as mentioned above, by increasing resistance and impeding the airflow. Besides increasing the mucous in the throat, it can also affect the width of the airway, which effect men more than women as men have a naturally narrower wind pipe.

Some smokers continue smoking because they believe that the damage has been done. However this is not true.

The damage caused by smoking can be undone and smokers who give up will notice an improvement in their health and well being within a relatively short period of time - and their health and well being continue to improve the longer they continue not to smoke. This improvement also includes a reduction in the volume and frequency of the snoring.

Researchers have studied smokers and snoring in people from twenty five to fifty four years old. The researchers studied group of fifteen thousand people from five different countries to see what, if any, correlation there is between snoring and people who smoke. The results were very informative and not too surprising.

The study showed that nearly twenty five percent of those who currently smoked and twenty percent of past smokers snored, however less than fifteen percent of non-smokers snored. Interestingly the more a person smoked the louder they snored.

Second hand smoke also posed a problem. Twenty percent of people who lived with a smoker also snored. The study also noted that more men smoked cigarettes, but it's the female smokers who seem more likely to snore.

The question is "what does smoking do that makes a person more likely to snore"? Doctors and research say that it is a simple as "smoke irritates the airway". However, others also believe that the body's nightly nicotine withdrawal causes disruptions in the person's sleep patterns, and causes obstructions in the upper airway. In addition to these factors, people who smoke are more likely to drink alcohol and alcohol is another trigger and so the two in combination are definitely going to cause you to snore.

As it is a well known fact that smoking is so bad for your health and now realizing that it also increases the chances you'll snore, and potentially have other sleep disturbances, isn't it worth reconsidering this bad habit?

After all quitting smoking may give you quiet and uninterrupted night of peaceful sleep. Which can make your days better, improve your relationship and maybe even add years to your life, all while stopping your snoring.